Category: Politics

Remember when Mr. Trump constantly criticized Obama for his “many unnecessary trips that cost millions in tax payer’s money”? The Trump family has long depleted the Secret Service Funds. It was around August this year where rumors started circulating that the Trump family had depleted the Secret Service protection fund. As of now, it can certainly be confirmed.

At the time, it was said that more than a thousand agents had hit the mandated caps for salary and allowances. The funding for this was supposed to last them a year. At the time when the rumors started, it had only been 8 months since Trump was inaugurated. The news that our Secret Service has run out of money to pay its agents is completely unprecedented and completely baffling. How about anytime you need a personal injury lawyer in austin?

As the president of our country, Trump is a symbol. This is why his safety is paramount. What is to happen now that they can no longer afford to pay the very people who are tasked to protect him? What does it say about us a country that our elected leader appears to be uncaring about how much he’s costing us? How much more do we stand before we say enough is enough?

The incredible secret service agents were met with a crippling workload in terms of logistics. Trump, since the start of his presidency, has travelled consistently to one of his many properties. His adult children and their families, who are also under the protection of the Secret Service, constantly have business and vacation trips abroad. Unlike the Obamas, the Trumps have added a significant amount more people to protect.

Instead of saving tax payer’s money like he had promised, Trump has effectively blown through the budget that was supposed to last him for 12 months. And yes, even his family was factored into the initial cost and budget allotment. Every single time that Trump visits Mar-a-Lago, it costs an estimated $3 million each time. The other trips he’s taken, along with the necessary planning it takes to secure his safety, is no easy task.

Our hardworking agents now face the very real threat of not being compensated for work that they had already rendered. The entire concept is ridiculous. Something definitely needs to budge.

Here’s a hint: it shouldn’t be the tax payers. Mr. Trump needs to have a reality check and our hardworking agents need to be suitably compensated.

When they spoke of angry hate mobs with torches, anyone could dismiss it as something you’d see in a history book or an old movie. However, as we all saw, white supremacy is back.

It’s little over a week since the world watched new age Nazis marching in broad daylight. Hiding under the guise of “free speech” these individuals took to the streets of Charlottesville, loudly chanting “Jews will not replace us.” While they were not clear on what exact capacity Jews were supposed to replace them as, the gathering was as vile as you’d expect.

It certainly didn’t help that there was radio silence from the White House for at least two days that followed the Charlottesville incident. In doing so, our own leader has fueled the white supremacists belief that they are a valid existence. White nationalist Matthew Heimbach and those who think like him fully believe that “white America” is under threat. These are the very same people that deny that the Holocaust ever existed.

These individuals who attended their “white lives matter” rally are outspoken in their belief that white people suffer more discrimination that any other racial or ethnic group in the US.

Anti-Semitism isn’t anything new

The US has always been the home of different minded people. That was one of the things that made it so great. However, while the freedom of expression led to some the best highs our society has experienced, it has also allowed the cretins to fester.

Hate speech is not ‘free speech’

A constant defense of those who speak ill is that they are merely practicing their freedom of expression. However, the greatest distinction in the purpose of free speech is to be free and willing to engage in thoughtful discussion with people you may not agree with.

Hate speech is an all-out attack on the person or group you are speaking to. The purpose of hate speech is to demean and degrade with no thoughts to the effects or consequences to the recipient. Hate speech is pretty much what the white supremacists did in Charlottesville. Inciting violence and carrying weapons should not be protected by free speech.

While our president exclaims that he does not condone white supremacy and that he’s committed to fighting it, his policies would suggest differently. Trump has never been one to shy away from controversial words and way of thinking. He has expressed views that have empowered white supremacists into galvanizing together.

If you don’t think there’s trouble brewing, you’re wrong

“White Lives Matter” supporters now believe that they are supported by our president. From the way Trump acts and speaks, who can blame them? The way Trump issued his statements regarding Charlottesville matters a lot. He has never been one to shy away from publicly calling out anyone he perceives to have done something wrong.

This means a world of trouble for the rest of the US that aren’t white or straight. This is truly a worrisome time in our history.

You’ve probably heard of the term “Grassroots Democracy”. If you haven’t, tune it as we’ll be taking a much closer look at the concept and how it may end up changing the world.

What is it?

By definition, a grassroots democracy is the inclination to form political processes wherein the decisions are made by the country or organization’s lowest demographic. Think of it in terms of a pyramid. The way our usual government system works is that a few or the “top” get to decide on reforms that affect every hierarchy of the pyramid.

A grassroots democracy shifts that. Instead of those in the top making the decisions, it’ll be those in the bottom. This is a concept which the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) likes to throw around.

So the power is with the people?

As far as we have ever known, our government has always taken oligarchic forms. We see this every election season: Politicians, who are born and bred in wealth, claiming to understand what it’s like for the ordinary citizens of this country.

The grassroots democracy movement puts forth the idea that the people are directly involved with the decisions that affect their daily lives. Rather than having a single representative that might be out of touch with their demographic.

What’s so good about letting the people decide?

A common complaint of the everyday citizen is that our leaders and representatives pass laws and reforms that directly affect their lives—yet these very people seem to live in a bubble. For example, our president is currently trying to remove the ACA (which has helped countless Americans) but he, himself, will not suffer any consequences.

If he ever falls ill, he provided the very best of medical care simply by being our president. Also, even if wasn’t our president, he would be able to afford the best medical care anyway. Most other politicians are also like this. So the average American voter is left to suffer consequences that do not faze the ones making the decisions.

By letting the people themselves be in charge of decision making, a more practical and realistic view of reforms can be made.

Does literally everyone get a say?

By virtue of the grassroots democracy, yes they do. Our current voting system has seen its share of evolution. Back in the day there were several of the demographic that weren’t allowed to vote. In a grassroots democracy, all are given voices to speak.

Why don’t we have this now?

This is simple: it is because of the gridlock of the duopoly of the Republicans and the Democrats. These two parties make it virtually impossible for any third party to have a chance to be heard.

We are at a critical point in our history as a country. Violence is prevalent and the people cry out in anger. It seems that the systems we put in place to protect us no longer do so. And thus, it must come to change.

Today, we take a closer look at the permeating duopoly that the American voters can’t seem to shake off. The duopoly must be reevaluated. The American public deserves more choices.

In the past several years, our national politics have revolved around the wheel of having either a Democrat or a Republican at the helm. Before the 45th president (a Republican) was sworn in—a democrat was in power for eight years. While there was a significant amount of progress for equality under the Obama regime, our current president is more inclined to undo most policies without providing a suitable alternative.

While the elephant and the donkey are busy fighting each other, it is the American public that suffers in the crossfire. This has always been the issue with the duopoly in our politics. The ebb and sway of opinion usually means that decisions have been stalled simply because there is an even hold in voting power.

What would a third party be able to accomplish?

If the American voters had a third party to choose from, the potential for reform is stronger. A third party has the ability to serve as a bridge to connect the voters who feel alienated by the often polar extremes of the two parties.

There is more to the world than being a liberal or a conservative. Given the events that permeate our political sphere of late, there is no more middle ground. When you’re a republican, it’s either you fully support the president or be called a snowflake. On the flipside, it’s either you abhor everything 45 stands for or you’re a budding neo-Nazi. However, the world is not so simple. You can dislike policies that the president enact and still approve of others.

Having a third party in the mix enables lost voters to revitalize their interest in our democratic process. If we have a third party, we can achieve real progress as new agendas can be presented. Fresh views can be added into the intellectual sphere. We need better options and we need them now.

We need change NOW

Our country is in a pretty precarious state. Unemployment is at a high. The funding for our environmental agencies has been severely undercut. Our students face crippling debt before they’re even out of school. Instead of the focus on this, it seems that the world is more interested in finding out the latest ‘tweet’ or coming up with the latest ‘fake news’.
There is too much bickering and not much actual progressive action in our country.

Our system isn’t working to our benefit any longer

Both democrats and republicans have effectively put in place ways to sustain themselves from being supplanted by any other party. This security meant that they can underperform without any significant consequences. If their candidate loses, they merely need to wait four years before they can try again.

The American citizen ends up having to deal with whatever mess is left behind. Enough is enough. We truly deserve more.